Biography
Focusing necessarily on Angela Davis' limited role within the recording industry, this overview of her career naturally downplays the substantial philosophical and political impact she has exerted on American life. Were pop music the central concern, skeptics might argue that her most notable advantage lay in the striking Afro hairstyle she wore during the peak of her public prominence in the 1970s. Her recorded appearances, unsurprisingly, connect directly to her political priorities, summarized in one account as racial and gender equity and prison abolition. She released a full-length album on the radical Alternative Tentacles label while also lending her voice to activist song collections, among them the Fire This Time ensemble's Still Dancing on John Wayne's Head.
Observers who associate rock & roll with brushes against the law might observe Davis' unusual distinction as one of the rare black American women with recording credits to appear on the FBI's Most Wanted List. She faced charges of conspiracy, kidnapping, and homicide, rendering the legal troubles of figures such as Keith Richards comparatively minor. She received a full acquittal roughly eighteen months after her listing by the FBI. Davis additionally surfaces in classic rock songwriting as thematic inspiration, albeit less frequently than a spurned romantic interest. Both explicit and oblique allusions to her appear in works by the Beatles, Bob Dylan, and the Rolling Stones, widely regarded by commentators as the preeminent triumvirate of the genre. John Lennon and Yoko Ono's "Angela" centers entirely on her. The Rolling Stones address her situation in "Sweet Black Angel," whose lyrics recount her protracted conflicts with the justice system, while Dylan composed a piece concerning George Jackson, whose brother Jonathan Jackson is said to have taken firearms from Davis' residence. She has authored nearly a dozen books, one of which is the autobiography issued in 1974.
Observers who associate rock & roll with brushes against the law might observe Davis' unusual distinction as one of the rare black American women with recording credits to appear on the FBI's Most Wanted List. She faced charges of conspiracy, kidnapping, and homicide, rendering the legal troubles of figures such as Keith Richards comparatively minor. She received a full acquittal roughly eighteen months after her listing by the FBI. Davis additionally surfaces in classic rock songwriting as thematic inspiration, albeit less frequently than a spurned romantic interest. Both explicit and oblique allusions to her appear in works by the Beatles, Bob Dylan, and the Rolling Stones, widely regarded by commentators as the preeminent triumvirate of the genre. John Lennon and Yoko Ono's "Angela" centers entirely on her. The Rolling Stones address her situation in "Sweet Black Angel," whose lyrics recount her protracted conflicts with the justice system, while Dylan composed a piece concerning George Jackson, whose brother Jonathan Jackson is said to have taken firearms from Davis' residence. She has authored nearly a dozen books, one of which is the autobiography issued in 1974.
Albums
Singles
